Ghana’s Black Queens are back in the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time since 2015, following a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Algeria in Berkane, Morocco, on Saturday.
After a goalless 120 minutes, the tense quarter-final was settled from the spot, with the Queens holding their nerve to seal a deserved spot in the final four.
Coach Kim Bjorkegren made two tactical changes from the previous game, bringing in Doris Boaduwaa and handing Stella Nyamekye her first start of the tournament. The Queens began with intent, with Princess Marfo testing Algeria’s keeper early, though the chance didn’t trouble the scoreboard.
Stella Nyamekye appeared to give Ghana the lead in the 27th minute, but VAR intervened, disallowing the goal for offside. The rest of the game saw few clear-cut chances, with both sides struggling to find a breakthrough across regular time and extra time.
Substitutions in the second half saw Evelyn Badu and Princella Adubea come on to boost Ghana’s attack, but the stalemate persisted, leading to a penalty shootout.
In the shootout, the Black Queens kept their composure to score four out of their five penalties, while Algeria failed to match Ghana’s accuracy, sending the Queens into the WAFCON semi-finals for the first time in nearly a decade.